Employee News

Posted on October 8, 2017 by kingcountyemployees

Kudos! Positive community response received to WTD activities at construction site

Members of the neighborhood at the site of Wastewater Treatment Division’s (WTD’s) construction of the Sunset and Heathfield Pump Station Replacement and Force Main Upgrade project have sent emails to King County to express their appreciation for the amount of communication they’ve received from WTD, and for the safety concerns shown for the residents by the contractor’s workers.

I wanted to send a note of thanks to De’Sean Quinn and his team who are working on the Sunset and Heathfield pump stations project. We live across the street from the Heathfield Pump Station. We knew this was a huge project that was going to affect us. Every step of the way, the team has been incredible with its communication. I have appreciated all of the updates. Now that the project is underway, we are having minor nuisances – as to be expected. However, everyone working on the project has been incredibly helpful. I was walking my dog this week, and cut onto a lawn to avoid the cars. One of the flaggers made sure to let me know that they would stop traffic so I could walk safely. This project is going way better than I had expected. I just wanted to be sure that the team was recognized for their concerns in the neighborhood.

I live up the hill from Vasa Vista Park and the contractor workers have been great – friendly, efficient and most importantly, keeping everyone safe. I walk a lot and they make sure I get where I’m going quickly and safely.

Kudos to our WTD employees for the great work they are doing in keeping the community safe throughout this construction project!

Posted on October 7, 2017 by kingcountyemployees

Update your address to receive important Open Enrollment information

Open Enrollment for your 2018 King County benefits takes place Nov. 1 – 15. It’s your opportunity to evaluate your benefit options and make choices for the upcoming year.

This year, you’ll have a new medical plan option: KingCare℠ Select. Details about the new third plan—and other important benefits and Open Enrollment information—will be sent to your home address, so please confirm that your mailing address is correct:

Sign in to PeopleSoft. You can also access PeopleSoft from home by going to kingcounty.gov > Information for King County employees > PeopleSoft login.
Go to My Personal Information
Go to Home and Mailing Address
Edit, if needed

If you need a new password, go to Forgot My Password. If you have any other login issues, call the IT Service Center at 206-263-4357.

For more information, refer to the PeopleSoft Sign-On Instructions or contact your Payroll or Human Resources representative.

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Bond rating boost, refinancing saves $41.2 million for King County sewer utility ratepayers

Strong credit ratings and favorable conditions in the financial market continue to benefit ratepayers served by King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division.

On Monday, King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division refinanced $175.6 million in Limited Term General Obligation (LTGO) Refunding Bonds. The refinancing will save ratepayers $41.2 million over the next 17 years.

King County’s wastewater utility partially funds its capital improvement program by selling sewer revenue and LTGO bonds. Solid credit ratings help the County secure a lower interest rate on the bonds it sells to fund its major capital improvement program. The money borrowed is paid back through current and future monthly sewer rates and charges.

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Lilia Cabello Drain

Tech Tip: Don’t shut down, restart!

KCIT makes security and other updates to your computer while you are sleeping, but we can’t do it if your computer is off.

So when you go home at night, hit “Restart” instead of “Shutdown”. That cleans up your computer AND allows KCIT to rollout the necessary upgrades and patches so your device is up-to-date the next day.

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Jason Argo

Celebrating Disability Awareness Month

This October King County is celebrating Disability Awareness Month and taking the opportunity to recognize the many contributions of people with disabilities to our workforce and our communities.

Pictured: Councilmembers are joined by representatives from the King County Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Community and Human Services after the Council proclaimed the month of October “Disability Awareness Month” in King County.

King County provides many programs and services – such as easier access to public transit, greater access to parks, facilities and trails, housing assistance and improvement programs, and Accessible Voting Centers – to help people with disabilities bring their unique contributions to our communities and live fulfilling and rewarding lives.

King County Executive Dow Constantine and the Metropolitan King County Council proclaimed the month of October as Disability Awareness Month in King County.

“King County employees work every day to remove barriers, challenge the status quo, promote inclusion and expand opportunity to improve the lives of people with disabilities,” Executive Constantine said. “We are all better off when everyone has an equitable opportunity to fully participate in our community and contribute their unique perspectives and talents.”

“Today’s proclamation celebrates the many contributions that individuals with disabilities bring to strengthen, diversify and brighten King County,” said Council Chair Joe McDermott. “We must continue to strive to address the injustices that linger and remove the barriers that remain, so that all lives are equally valued, no matter ability.”

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Jason Argo

Last chance! Employee Survey closing Oct. 6

The 2017 Employee Survey is now underway so please have your say by October 6 on how we can make King County work better for you and your customers.

This year, employees in all branches and departments of King County, except the Superior Court, District Court and the Sheriff’s Office, Short Term Temporary employees, interns and employees who started after August 25, 2017, are eligible to take the survey. If you haven’t received your survey invitation from 2017KCEmployeeSurvey@orcsurvey.com, please check your Junk Mail folder first, then contact KCEmployeeSurvey@kingcounty.gov if it is not there.

The survey should take between 10-20 minutes to complete and you can take it during working hours. Your responses are totally confidential and cannot be traced back to you.

Posted on October 5, 2017 by kingcountyemployees

Two of our firefighters render medical aid on cross-country flight

Crossposted from The Centerline

Pictured: From left, Graydon Matheson and Seth Grant.

Our Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Unit staff members are trained to respond to emergencies on the airfield, but helping with a medical emergency in midair is a different story.

On Sept. 21, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies Seth Grant and Graydon Matheson were returning from a conference in Louisville, Ky., aboard an Alaska Airlines flight from Chicago. A flight attendant asked over the intercom if there were any medically trained passengers aboard.

Grant and Matheson immediately responded, as did an ER doctor who also happened to be aboard. An 81-year-old man had collapsed and stopped breathing in the front of the aircraft. The three provided continuous CPR while the pilot made an emergency landing in Spokane, where medics were waiting at the airport.

County resources help employee find the right job

Sometimes you get a second chance. When Sean Porter started his career at King County, he had a completely different job. For the first eight months, things went well. But then the pressures grew – along with the workplace distractions.

It was soon discovered that Sean had a very treatable medical condition. After working with a trusted supervisor, along with Disability Services, he was able to locate a new job as a Maintenance Planner Scheduler/Transit Administrative Specialist II at Rail. Though it’s never easy to switch jobs, he credits the help of his manager for being open and supportive about what was needed.

In addition to his manager, the assistance of Transit and King County’s Disability Services team was extremely helpful when he had questions about handling organization, expectations and priorities at the new job. At first, there were frequent check-ins and assistance.

Through communication about what would help him perform his job, and a little creativity from everyone involved, Sean has now been working successfully in his current job for over six years. He feels he has found a good fit, with a great team and a great boss.

But sometimes it takes a while to find a job you like that fits with what you need.

Sean has some words of advice for anyone who may be struggling or wondering what to do next. “It’s better to make the first move and get started on the road to healing than to wait until things get out of hand,” he says. “There is no shame in admitting that we need help.”

He points to Employee Assistance Program/Making Life Easier as a good first step if you are not sure what to do.

Employees who have a medical condition may need to explore different reasonable accommodations to perform their current job, or in some cases may end up working in a completely different job through a process called Reassignment Services.

If Disability Services is required as part of the process, you’ll find “a wealth of warmth, support and knowledge to guide you,” he says. And if you realize that you need to be in a different position that fits better for you, make sure you do your best. This helps everyone, including the taxpayers, he says. “Doing your best will make it easier to find something else if this position turns out not to be your dream job.”

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Alex Hurtado

Employee development through Special Duty Assignments

At King County, Special Duty Assignments (SDA) create opportunities for employees who wish to hone their current skills and add new ones to their resume.

Such is the case for one King County employee; Public Health Administrative Specialist Donna Rodgers-Yates has been with King County for more than 20 years, and in June Donna took on a SDA with King County Information Technology as a Human Resources Associate.

“Opportunity for personal and professional growth prompted me to take on a SDA,” Donna said. “After gathering more information about other departments and exploring other areas, I thought about IT; I like that IT supports all of King County, and they work tirelessly to provide excellent customer service.”

Career advancement and skill development are key goals of the County’s Investing in You strategy, and Special Duty Assignments are integral to this work by providing immersive learning opportunities.

For the last few months, Donna has been learning the ropes of working at KCIT in HR, and while she is accustomed to some of the Microsoft programs and software, she admits that there is a learning curve. “HR is a very dynamic area in itself, and a great challenge,” Donna said. “In the Health department we use some of the same systems in Microsoft, but with more of a billing system functionality.”

This dynamic work environment is fostering continuous learning opportunities for Donna that she can apply to her work in any department. “This environment is very fast paced, and I am challenged to sharpen my skills continuously,” Donna said. “I’m still learning – there are so many parts to HR and something new to be learned each day.” In a KCIT, Donna has been enhancing her problem solving skills and decision making abilities.

Donna began exploring the many pathways to career advancement in meetings and employee development training sessions where she became exposed to different areas of work in King County.

“King County has not stopped investing in me,” Donna said. “I owe this opportunity to the Administrative Professional Advisory Committee created by the Executive to foster advancement among Administrative Specialists. I am an Admin Spec. that has worked for the County for more than 20 years, and now I’m on a SDA in KCIT HR as an HR Associate. I hope that I am only the first of many Administrative Specialists in the County who are given the opportunity to advance.”

“Special duty assignments are awesome,” Donna said.

Thank you Donna for your commitment to King County and its residents you serve. Your work does not go unnoticed.

Posted on October 4, 2017 by kingcountyemployees

Metro Transit celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

Pictured: From left Transportation Planner Penny Lara, Diversity and Inclusion Manager Anita Whitfield and Dr. Roberto Dondisch-Glowinski.

During National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), we at King County recognize the important presence of Hispanic and LatinX Americans and the contributions they have made to the United States and King County, and celebrate their heritage and culture. National Hispanic Heritage Month begins each year on September 15, the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence days during this period and Dia de la Raza is October 12.

Before Washington was a state, people of Hispanic origin were coming to the region to work on ranches, in mines, and on farms. Today, Mexico is a trading partner and the single biggest importer of Washington apples. People from Mexico and those with Mexican heritage, along with people from other Latin America nations, are part of the fastest growing demographic group in King County. King County residents of Mexican heritage is 9.5%.

Share in our annual tribute by learning about and celebrating the generations of Hispanic and LatinX Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. In honor of this month, the Metro Transit Office of Diversity & Inclusion hosted a special Lunch & Learn featuring the Consul of Mexico in Seattle, Dr. Roberto Dondisch-Glowinski, on Wednesday, September 27 at King Street Center.

Dr. Dondisch is the Head Consul of Mexico in Seattle providing services to over 790,000 Mexican nationals in the state of Washington as well as Alaska and seven counties in Idaho. He was previously Director-General for Global Issues within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served as the Chief Negotiator for Mexico for the post-2015 Development Agenda and the Paris Climate Change Agreement and focal point for the Mexican participation as elected member of the United Nations Security Council. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations with a Masters in Foreign Service and International Studies and then received his PhD in International Relations (John Hopkins), a Masters of Science in Foreign Service (Georgetown University), and a Bachelors in International Relations (Universidad Iberoamericana). The King County Council presented Dr. Dondisch with a proclamation to celebrate Mexico Week in September.

Dr. Dondisch delivered an informative, inspirational and passionate message to a sizable audience of employees about Climate Change and Social Justice. The employees came from not only Transit but other Sections and Departments. Dr. Dondisch explained the interesting processes of negotiation that led to the Paris Climate Change Agreement. He spoke about the challenges and opportunities of getting nations of the world to reduce their carbon footprint with a goal of significantly slowing the increase in the rise in global temperature and thereby reducing the impacts to our planet. Mexico has its primary focus set on renewable resources and fuels as their way to achieve their goals. There was discussion about the recent earthquake in Mexico City regarding the devastation and relief efforts. Dr. Dondisch’s friendly and engaging style was evident during his question and answer period. Everyone in the room left feeling enriched by the experience.